Keep You Safe
by WalkerGirl19
Summary: The town that Rick Grimes lives in is boring, until a girl named Andrea shows up, and changes Rick's life. Can he keep her safe from her abusive ex boyfriend Phillip, or will he take Andrea back from Rick? Rickdrea paring, AU.
1. Chapter 1

**Ch:1**

**Hey there! So this is one of the new stories I've been working on. The formatting is better than in Survival Of The Fittest, so if that's something you're concerned about**, **don't worry. This is an AU fic, so no apocalypse. There is mention of abuse and other mature themes like that so if you don't like that sort of stuff, I suggest not reading this. For anyone** **who does read it, I hope you enjoy!**

**I do not own The Walking Dead or it's characters**

Rick Grimes was making his daily patrols around town- as he always did, and that's when he noticed it. He noticed that everyday, everything was always… the same. Monotonous, if you will. It was always get up early, make some coffee, read the paper, drop Carl off at school (if it was his week), head to work, and patrol all day. He wanted something different to happen, but nothing like that happened in the little town that he lived in- until one day. He was making his morning rounds, and walked into the small diner on the corner like he normally did. He noticed that everything was the same as every morning. But wait, this morning something was different. There was a blonde woman who he had never seen before, sitting at one of the tables, sipping on coffee and looking through a newspaper add. As sheriff of the town, he deemed it important to know who everyone was. He grabbed a chair and pulled it up to the table, across from the woman. She didn't even notice that he was there until he cleared his throat to get her attention. She looked up from the newspaper and flinched.

"Woah sorry. I didn't mean to scare you." He said to her in his southern accent.

She gave him a small smile, "It's okay. I'm just… jumpy right now, sorry." She replied

For a reason he wasn't quite sure of, Rick was curious as to why she was so nervous, but he pushed the though away and introduced himself.

"I'm Rick Grimes. I'm the sheriff around here," he said.

He stuck out his hand across the table.

"I'm Andrea," she said, taking his hand and shaking it.

When she shook his hand, he felt a jolt of electricity shoot up his arm. It wasn't a bad jolt, it was a jolt that made him want to hold onto her hand. He hadn't felt like that with anyone since he and Lori divorced. He let go of her hand, but he didn't leave just yet. He wanted to keep talking to the new girl in town, who he now knew as Andrea.

"So, uh, where'd you come from?" He asked, trying to make conversation.

She gave him a shy look, and answered, "A small city a few miles away from here."

There were only a few cities around the tiny town, so he had a rough idea of where she was from.

"If you don't mind my asking, why would you leave a city to come to a crummy little town like this?" He asked.

She flashed him a smile, "You sure do ask a lot of questions. But if you must know," she paused, unaware if she should lie, or tell him the truth. He was the sheriff so she figured she could trust him.

"I came here because...because I'm trying to get away from my ex-boyfriend."

Rick's face fell, and there was a look of concern in his eyes.

"Trying to get away? Was he hurting you? What happened?" He asked frantically.

She managed a half-smile at his concern. "Well, his name is Phillip. He was drinking a lot, and I told him if he didn't stop, I was going to leave. He never did, and whenever I tried to leave, he stopped me."

To explain what she meant by 'stopped me' she rolled up one of her shirt sleeves to reveal various scars and bruises. Rick's jaw clenched with anger, and he figured, that by the way she presented herself and from the fact that he's a cop, that this guy did a lot more than just hurt her.

"So he's been hurting you? Why didn't you call the police?" He pried.

She looked down, clearly shy about the subject, but continued.

"I couldn't. He smashed my cell phone and he didn't keep a house phone. The only reason I got out was because I broke out of the closet he locked me in and smashed a window when he wasn't home." She said it with shyness in her voice, obviously uncomfortable about the topic.

Rick didn't even know this asshole, but he knew that if he ever happened to find Andrea, he wouldn't let anything happen to her.

"Well don't worry, you're safe here." He replied.

She nodded her head and took another sip of her coffee.

"Have you found a place to stay yet?" Rick asked.

"No, not yet. I'll probably just stay at a motel or something until I can find a job," she replied with a shrug.

Rick didn't like the idea of her staying at one of the small, roach infested motels in town, so he thought of a better offer.

"You could stay at my place if you like. The motels are pretty gross here." He said.

She looked at him with a half-shocked expression on her face. "Thank you , but I couldn't ask you to do that."

He smiled at her selflessness.

"First of all, call me Rick. Second, it's not a problem. I have a spare bedroom that you can use, and I don't mind the company." He said.

Andrea thought about it for a minute, and agreed.

"Alright, I'll stay. But only until I find my own place," she said sternly.

Rick gave a smile that was a little too big considering the fact that they barely new each other. He gave her his address and told her to meet him there at 5:30, when he got off work.

He left the diner to finish his patrols and his thoughts for the rest of the day were filled with blonde hair and blue-green eyes.

**Thank you for reading, and reviews are greatly appreciated!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Sorry it took so long to update! I meant to have this up sooner! Thank you to everyone who has reviewed and followed so far!**

**I do not own The Walking Dead or it's characters**

Ch 2:

Andrea arrived at Ricks later that night. She wasn't sure about how she felt about staying at some random strangers house… no, he wasn't a random stranger. His name was Rick Grimes and he was the sheriff, and that meant that he was safe. Safe. That's exactly what she was looking for right now, so she was glad to be staying with him. She knocked on the door and he answered it in a t-shirt, pajama pants, and bare feet. She giggled a little at his appearance. Noticing what he was wearing, Rick blushed.

"Uh, sorry about this. It was a long day, and I needed to get comfy," he said.

"It's no problem." She replied with a smile.

He motioned her in and noticed that she didn't have anything with her.

"Don't you have any clothes?" He asked.

"No. I didn't have time to grab any when I left, and I don't have any money to buy them with." She said, avoiding his eyes.

He felt sorry for her, knowing that she probably didn't have time to grab anything while smashing a window and walking for miles to get here. He pulled out his wallet and gave her $100. Her eyes widened and she tried to give the money back to him.

"Rick, this is sweet, but I can't let you give me this. I mean, you're already letting me stay at your house, and that's more than I can ask for. I'll just get a job, and make money that way." She said.

He put the money back into her hand, and again he felt the jolt go up his arm that he only felt with her. He showed her the spare bedroom where she would sleep and they both sat down on the couch.

"So Andrea, since you're staying here for a bit, why don't you tell me a little about yourself?" He asked, trying to strike a conversation.

"Well, I have a younger sister Amy who lives with my parents, I used to be a lawyer-"

"Used to be? Did you quit?" He asked.

"No, I didn't quit. I loved that job, but when I started dating Phillip- after he uh, started hitting me, he didn't want us in a big city where someone could find out. He wrote a letter of resignation to the law firm from me, and made us leave town." She looked down, feeling weak.

She normally stood up for herself, that's why she liked being a lawyer so much, but when it came to Phillip he was always so much bigger and stronger than her, and she could never win an argument. Rick gave her a sympathetic look.

"That's really all there is about me. Oh and I'm claustrophobic. Whenever Phillip would leave the house, he uh, he would lock me in a tiny closet. You'd think I'd be used to it, but it's not exactly an easy thing to get used to." She said timidly.

Rick hated this guy already. Why would he do something like that to Andrea?

"Wait, there is one more thing. Uh, well, the more comfortable I get with someone, the more… vulgar my language gets." She said with a small smirk.

He let out a laugh. He didn't take her for the cursing type.

"Well that's okay, I'm like that too." He said.

She giggled and he smiled. He liked her laugh.

"So what about you? Anything I should know?" Andrea asked, cocking an eyebrow.

"Well I'm the sheriff, I have an 11 year old son named Carl, and I love coffee," he replied.

She laughed and said, "Me too."

He stared at her for a second and said,"You know, we have something in common other than liking coffee."

She gave him a curious look. "And what's that?"

"We both have… relationship problems, if you will. My ex-wife Lori, she cheated on me with my best friend Shane. They're now married and we have joint custody of Carl. He's here one week, and at Lori's one week. We switch on Fridays," Rick answered.

She gave him a sad look and put her hand on his arm to comfort him. He felt the jolt go up his arm, and this time it made a tiny shiver go down his spine.

"I'm sorry. You seem like a really nice guy, I don't know why she would do that to you. And this Shane guy seems like an ass." She said.

He wasn't sure why, but he felt the overwhelming urge to pull her into a hug- but he resisted it. Instead he laughed at her language.

"You weren't kidding about that whole vulgar thing."

She smiled and they both said their good nights and went to bed.

**Thank you for reading! Hope you enjoyed! As always, reviews would be great! :)**


	3. Chapter 3

**Here's chapter 3! Thank you to everyone who has left reviews, they mean a lot to me! **

**I do not own The Walking Dead or it's characters**

Ch:3

Andrea woke up that morning to the smell of coffee. She absolutely loved coffee, and was eager to get some. She got out of bed and walked into the kitchen, where Rick sat in his uniform, drinking coffee and reading the paper.

"Morning," she said groggily.

He smiled at her and handed her a cup of coffee and pulled out a chair at the table for her. She took the cup, blushed at his chivalrous action, and sat down.

"So how'd you sleep?" Rick asked her.

"Better than I have in a long time," she replied with a smile.

He picked out a section of the newspaper and handed it to her.

"It's the job section. I figured since you don't like taking my money, I'd give you a head start on finding a job."

He pointed to one of the adds, "This is a job opening for the diner that you were at yesterday. It's probably the best offer you're gonna get around here."

She smiled and thanked him. A couple minutes later he went to work, leaving Andrea alone in the house.

She didn't really know what to do. She had told Rick that she slept well, and she had, but she was still exhausted. She made sure the front door was locked and walked back into her bedroom to get some more sleep.

* * *

At 5:30, Rick got home. He unlocked the door and walked in, eager to talk to Andrea some more. He kicked his shoes off and put his keys on the table. He looked around for the blonde, and was confused for a moment before he saw that her bedroom door was closed. He smiled a bit. How long had she been sleeping? He figured he would let her rest, so he walked into his bedroom and once again put on pajama pants and a baggy T-shirt.

He made himself a cup of coffee and he figured he would make her one for when she woke up. Just as he was pouring hers into the mug, she walked out of the bedroom.

"Oh, you're back. Hi," she said with a small smile.

Rick smiled back at her. "Yeah, just got back. You want some coffee?" He slid the mug across the table to her.

She sat down across from him and took a sip and he smiled at her again. Rick couldn't figure out what he was feeling. His heart had shattered when he found out that Lori had cheated on him- with Shane of all people, and he didn't think he would ever have feelings for anyone again. That is, until Andrea came along. There was something about her that Rick really liked! She was beautiful, no doubt about it. With her soft blonde hair and beautiful blue-green eyes, but there was more than just her looks. She was...funny, she seemed smart, and she was strong. Yes, she was definitely strong, but despite her strength, Rick wanted to protect her. He wanted to keep her safe from anything and anyone that could harm her. Did he have a...crush on Andrea? Yeah, yeah maybe he did...

He looked at her, "You like pizza? I would cook, but it's been a long week and..." He chuckled a bit.

Andrea nodded. "Yeah, pizza's good." In fact, pizza would be great! Anything would be really! She couldn't remember the last time she had a decent meal, let alone pizza!

Rick nodded and smiled. "Alright pizza it is! I'll go order it."

Rick walked away and Andrea smiled a bit. Rick was such a nice guy and she was so happy that she'd met him! Although she couldn't help but notice that she was feeling more than just a friendship feeling towards him. Could she actually have romantic feelings for Rick? No, she had to slow it down. She had just gotten out of an abusive relationship, and she wasn't sure if she could handle another relationship yet...Or could she? She shook her head. Rick would never like someone like her...

He walked back in and sat down again. "Pizza's ordered. It should be here soon," he said.

Andrea nodded and she took note of how much she liked his voice. Phillip had a southern accent, but it was rough and menacing. Rick's was smooth and soft, and she found herself enjoying the sound of it.

10 minutes later the doorbell rang and Rick answered it. Glenn Rhee stood there holding the pizza.

"Hi Rick. That'll be 10 bucks," Glenn said.

Rick took out 10 dollars and Glenn's eye caught something in the house.

"Whoa man, you got a girl over?!" Glenn whispered.

Rick chuckled, "It ain't like that Glenn. She's stayin' here until she finds somewhere else to go. Her name's Andrea."

Glenn nodded with understanding. "Oh, okay. Have a good night!"

Rick thanked him and closed the door. He brought the pizza back to the table and him and Andrea each grabbed a slice.

"Oh, um I hope you don't mind, but since tomorrow is Friday, my son Carl is coming back for the week. He's a good kid, but he might talk to you a lot." Rick chuckled.

Andrea smiled, "That's fine, I love kids. My sister Amy is 12 years younger than me, so I'm used to it."

Rick smiled and they finished their pizza and coffee. They stayed up for a while longer watching tv, and then they went to bed.


	4. Chapter 4

**Here's chapter 4 everyone! Thank you for the reviews! Sorry this one took so long, I had a busy week and I accidentally deleted the last half of the chapter so I had to re-write it! But anyways, here you go! Enjoy! **

**I do not own The Walking Dead or it's characters**

**Ch 4:**

Rick got a call that morning saying that he didn't have to go into work. He was pleased by that for a few reasons- Well obviously getting out of work is good, he didn't have to see Shane, and he got to spend the day with Andrea. He got up at 8:30 and read the paper. He got hungry at around 9:30 and decided that he would wake up Andrea to see if she wanted to go out and get breakfast.

He silently walked into her room and smiled at her. She looked peaceful when she was sleeping, and younger. He had to admit that she looked kinda cute and...Whoa where did that come from? He shook his head and called out her name. She groaned and sat up.

"Mornin'," Rick said, "Wanna go get some breakfast? We can go to the diner that you were at when you first here so that we can see about gettin' you a job. It's owned by Carol Dixon. She's real nice, I'm sure she'd love to have you there."

Andrea nodded, "Okay, just let me get ready."

Rick left the room and grabbed his wallet and keys. Andrea came out a few minutes later and he smiled at her.

"Ready to go?" Rick asked.

"Yep! Oh wait, aren't you supposed to be working?" Andrea questioned.

Rick smiled, "They gave me the day off."

Andrea smiled a bit more. "Oh, alright then!"

They walked out the door and Rick opened the car door for her. She thanked him and got inside, and he got in and they drove off.

* * *

They got to the diner and sat at a booth. A waitress came over and smiled at Rick.

"Well hello there Sheriff Grimes!" Said the waitress. She had short silver hair and a dazzling smile.

"Hi Carol," He replied. Rick looked at Andrea.

"Carol, this is Andrea. Andrea, this is Carol Dixon, she owns this place." Rick smiled.

Andrea smiled at the woman. "Hi," she said nervously.

Carol smiled back at her. "Hi there sweetie. You new around here?"

"Y-yeah," Andrea replied with a nod.

"Well welcome! What can I get you guys?" She asked, her beautiful smile never leaving her face.

Rick ordered scrambled eggs and coffee and Andrea ordered waffles and coffee. Carol went to the kitchen to get them and left Andrea and Rick alone.

Rick stared into Andrea's mesmerizing blue-green eyes. "So do you like it here so far?" He asked.

"Yeah, I do. It's nice and quiet and peaceful. I really like it here," she responded.

A few minutes later Carol came back with their food and they ate and talked about silly things like music and tv. Rick and Andrea had a lot in common, and the more he thought about it, the more Rick realized that they would probably be perfect for each other. As cliché as it sounded- it was true. Rick really liked Andrea, and he had a feeling that she liked him back.

They finished eating, and as they were about to leave, Rick turned to Carol.

"Carol, I was wonderin' if you could do me a favour? Andrea's new in town, and she wants to earn some money. I know that you need help around here, so we were wonderin' if she could start workin' here?" He asked with hopefulness in his voice.

Carol's eyes lit up and she grinned happily. "Why of course! You can start on Monday, how does that sound?" Carol asked with enthusiasm.

"That'd be great!" Andrea replied.

"Oh yay! This is gonna be great! See you then hon!" Carol said as they left.

* * *

Rick and Andrea got back to Rick's house and they sat on the couch. They were both panting from the heat, and Rick walked over to the thermostat, hoping that the old thing would work. It didn't, and he frowned.

"Sorry it's so hot in here," he said to Andrea, "We can go shopping after and get you some shorts if you want?"

Andrea nodded, and effortlessly threw her curly blonde hair into a ponytail. "Yeah, that's fine."

They spent the next few hours watching tv and Rick glanced at the clock. It was 2:00, so he figured that they could go shopping now, and when they were done they could go right to the elementary school to pick up Carl. Rick turned to Andrea.

"So I was thinkin', since it's 2:00, we could just go out now, and then go to the school to pick up Carl."

Andrea nodded. "Sounds good, let's go."

They left the house and drove to the small mall in town. They went to a few different stores and got Andrea all the clothes that she needed. They left and drove to Carl's elementary school, where Carl was waiting for them outside. Rick stepped out of the car and Carl ran to him, jumping into his arms.

"Hey dad! I missed you!" Carl said.

Rick smiled and squeezed his son tighter. "I missed you too pal! Come on, there's someone I want you to meet."

The father and son walked back to the car and Carl hopped into the backseat, while Rick got into the drivers seat. Rick turned around and smiled.

"Carl, this is Andrea. She'll be stayin' with us until she finds a place to stay." Rick said.

Andrea smiled and waved at Carl. "Hi Carl, I'm Andrea."

The young boy smiled back at her, "Hi!"

Rick quietly sighed in relief that Carl was fine with Andrea staying with them. They drove home, and as soon as they got in Carl sat down at the kitchen table and took his homework out. Rick chuckled.

"Doin' your homework now? I though you always saved it for Sunday?" Rick asked.

"Normally I do, but tonight I only have a bit so I'm doing it now, so that I can relax for the rest of the weekend," his son replied.

Rick nodded and Andrea walked into her room. She came out a few minutes later wearing jean shorts and a grey v-neck T-shirt. Rick's eyes widened slightly and his breath caught in his throat. The shorts showed off her long legs perfectly, and hugged her ass in all the right places, and the shirt was just low enough for him to see some cleavage. He swallowed the lump in his throat and smiled at her. Suddenly, Carl huffed.

"I hate this math! I don't understand it!" He whined.

Rick sighed, for he wasn't the best when it came to math. Before he could respond, Andrea had sat down beside his son.

"What are you working on buddy?" She asked.

Carl rolled his eyes. "Stupid fractions!" He replied.

Andrea chuckled and began to help him with his homework. Rick had to say he was impressed! Andrea was really smart, and she was good with Carl! After 15 minutes, all of Carl's homework was finished.

"Thanks Andrea, you're the best!" Carl exclaimed. He hugged Andrea, and ran into the living room to watch tv. Rick sat beside Andrea at the table as Carl turned on a superhero show.

"He really likes you. You weren't kiddin' about bein' good with kids," he said.

Andrea blushed, "Thanks."

When she blushed, Rick thought is was the cutest thing he had ever seen. After a minute of silence, Andrea bit her lip nervously and looked around. Rick realized that he had been wrong. The lip bite was _way_ cuter than the blush- and a lot sexier! His jeans suddenly felt smaller, and he internally panicked! What if she saw?! And his son was in the other room for gods sake! He began to think about baseball and Carl, and his hard-on went away. He relaxed, and began to talk to Andrea.

After a while, he and Andrea joined Carl on the couch and they all spent the night watching movies together, until Carl fell asleep and Rick carried him to bed.

**Hope you enjoyed it! And yes, I did say Carol Dixon. Normally I don't ship Caryl, but it's not focusing on them so I figured I would throw that in there for all the Caryl shippers ;)**


	5. Chapter 5

**Hi everyone! Sorry that this one took a while, but here it is! As you'll notice when you get there, I have a question for you guys at the end of the story so please read that and give me feedback! Thanks :)**

**I do not own The Walking Dead or it's characters**

_BOOM! SLAP! THUD! CRASH! These are the sounds Andrea could hear. As for sight- A fist here, a palm there. The glint of a knife shining in the light...She tried to get away, but she couldn't. Suddenly she felt a large pair of hands go around her throat and..._

Andrea sat up in bed and made a sound that was a mixture between a sob and a gasp. She started to shake and as hard as she tried to prevent it, tears escaped her eyes. Her bedroom door opened and Rick walked in.

"Andrea, you okay?" He asked, with sleep in his voice.

She sniffled and nodded. "Y-yeah. I'm f-fine..."

He heard the sadness and her voice and it snapped him fully out of sleep. He walked over to the bed and sat beside her. He put two fingers under her chin and tilted her head up.

"What's wrong Andrea?" He asked softly.

She avoided his eyes. "Just a nightmare. The shorts and the shirt...I was staring at my scars and I guess that's what set it off," she said, her voice cracking slightly. She began to cry again, and she hated herself for it! All she wanted was to be able to not cry!

Rick pulled her into his arms and hugged her tightly. He hated seeing her upset and he hated Phillip for doing this to her. She relaxed a bit more in his arms and he rubbed her back softy.

"Shhh, it's alright. It was just a dream and nobody's gonna hurt you anymore. You're safe here...with me." He spoke to her with compassion and understanding in his voice and it made her feel a bit better.

Rick started to pull away and Andrea put a hand on his arm.

"C-could you stay? Just until I fall asleep?" She asked meekly. She didn't want it to sound like she was begging, but she could really use someone to be there for her.

Rick nodded and they both laid down. Andrea put her head on his shoulder, but that was it. She didn't want to make it seem like she was trying to get too cozy with him. Rick smiled slightly and wrapped an arm around her, and she felt a whole lot better. Soon they both fell asleep, and Andrea didn't have any more nightmares.

* * *

Rick woke up and instantly he felt warm. He looked down to see Andrea curled up against his side with his arm protectively around her. He raised his eyebrows. _When did he fall asleep?_ He was only supposed to stay until Andrea fell asleep again but he must have dozed off. He shook his head and wondered if Carl was awake yet... CARL! What would he think of this, his dad falling asleep with a girl that he just met?! Rick listened carefully and he couldn't hear the tv on, so he assumed that Carl was still asleep. He shifted to get untangled from Andrea and the sudden movement made her eyes snap open. She looked at him and sat up quickly.

"Shit I'm sorry Rick! I-I didn't think that we would both fall asleep...Fuck, sorry." She stuttered.

Rick shook his head, "Nah, it's alright. You needed me there, so I was. We're cool." He said.

Andrea smiled and nodded. They awkwardly walked out of the room and into the kitchen. Andrea sat at the table while Rick made coffee, and she thought about what just happened. She was glad that Rick had been there to comfort her, but she couldn't help but think that there was more to it, or at least for her. She was _glad_ that Rick had been there. She liked the feeling of his body against hers, it made her feel warm and safe, and she was grateful for it.

She was snapped out of her thoughts when Rick placed the mug in front of her. They started to talk and Carl came rushing into the kitchen.

"Morning dad! Morning Andrea!" He said with enthusiasm.

"Mornin' bud," Rick said.

"What's for breakfast? Can we have pancakes?!" Carl asked excitedly.

Rick rubbed a hand across the back of his neck. "Well kiddo, I'm not exactly good when it comes to cookin'..." He replied nervously.

Carl's face fell ever so slightly, and Andrea figured she should speak up.

"I can make pancakes if you want. My sister loves them so I'm used to making them." She said with a smile.

Carl's eyes lit up and his grin returned. "Really? Thanks Andrea!" He said with a giggle. He ran into the living room and turned on the tv, patiently waiting for breakfast.

Rick laughed and he helped Andrea get everything ready to make the pancakes with. Andrea was smart, strong, kind, beautiful, _and_ she could cook! In Rick's mind, she was perfect.

Rick walked into the living room and sat beside Carl, who immediately snuggled into him. Rick loved being able to spend time with Carl, and he wished that he could always have Carl with him. Originally, Lori wanted to keep Carl during the week and let Rick have him on weekends, but Rick would have none of it. He fought against it and won, so now they each have Carl for a week.

He looked down at his son and planted a kiss on the top of his head. Carl smiled and cuddled closer to him. Andrea looked behind her and smiled at the father and son. She thought it was cute how much Rick loved Carl. Maybe she could have a family like that one day...she shook her head and focused on making breakfast.

Ten minutes later Andrea put a plate with a stack of pancakes on it in the middle of the table.

"Breakfast is ready boys!" She called out.

Carl bounded into the kitchen and Rick followed closely behind. They all sat down and began to eat.

Carls eyes widened, "These are the best pancakes ever Andrea!"

Andrea blushed and smiled. "Thanks kiddo," she replied.

Rick noticed the blush and smiled. They got through breakfast with conversations about super heroes and baseball, and when it was over Andrea offered to help Rick with the dishes. Rick washed and Andrea dried and on a few occasions their hands touched and Rick felt that wonderful jolt. They finished and Carl asked them if they would watch cartoons with him. Rick and Andrea walked into the living room and sat on the couch, and Carl squeezed himself between them, with his legs overtop of Rick's legs, and his head on Andrea's shoulder. Andrea smiled down at him, and again thought about what life would be like if it was like this. She had always wanted a child...She swallowed hard, and focused on the tv.

Later that afternoon Rick made peanut butter sandwiches for lunch and the three of them were sitting around the table. Suddenly Carl tilted his head at Andrea and smiled.

"You're really pretty Andrea," he said.

Andrea smiled and blushed, "Thanks Carl, you're quite handsome."

Carl smiled. "I like having you here with us."

Andrea smiled back, "And I like being here."

Rick smiled at both of them and sighed quietly. _If only she could stay forever,_ he thought.

* * *

The three passed the afternoon by playing board games (which Carl and Andrea usually won, leaving Rick constantly blushing and laughing), and watching movies. The sun was slowly setting and Rick asked Carl what he wanted for dinner.

"Um..." Carl paused, thinking about his choices, "Can you make spaghetti? You make the best spaghetti dad!"

Rick chuckled, "Sure, I'll make spaghetti."

He got up from the couch and walked into the kitchen. He got out everything he needed, and started to cook.

"Do you need any help?" Andrea inquired.

"No, I'm good. Thanks though." Rick responded.

Carl giggled and snuggled closer to Andrea, who he had need cuddling with for the past hour. "Good, because we're comfy."

Rick laughed and 25 minutes later, the spaghetti was ready. They say down and had a nice dinner together. When dinner was done, Andrea helped Rick with the dishes again, and Carl picked a movie. He decided on 'The Three Stooges' and the three of them snuggled together under a blanket. When the movie ended Rick carried the sleeping Carl into his bedroom and walked back out to say goodnight to Andrea. He smiled at her and he was discretely admiring how she looked in her pajama shorts and baggy T-shirt.

"Night Andrea, and if you get nightmares, just come and get me, okay?" He said softly.

Andrea walked over to him and smiled, "Thanks Rick, I will." She was contemplating hugging him, but she figured it would be going too far. She walked into her bedroom and quickly fell asleep.

**Hope you enjoyed it! Okay so I have an important question: Should I keep going throughout the week or do you want me to skip to Friday when Carl leaves so that Rick and Andrea can get closer to each other? ;) Please let me know and whichever option gets the most votes is the one I'll do. And if no one reviews then I'll choose myself lol**


	6. Chapter 6

**Hi everyone! Here's chapter 6! This is a smutty one so if you don't like smut then skip the end. This is my first time writing smut, so I hope it was okay! I decided to skip right to Friday, because I was really eager to get Rick and Andrea together :) Hope you enjoy! And also- I'm always open to constructive criticism so if anyone has any writing tips for me, leave them in the reviews or feel free to PM me! And if you have any suggestions about what you want in the story, you can also review or PM me :) **

**I do not own The Walking Dead or it's characters**

**CH:6**

Their fantastic week went by fast, and Friday finally came. Carl had asked Rick if Andrea could come to drop him off at school. Rick obviously agreed, and Andrea was more than happy to go since Carol had given her the day off. She loved Carl, and was sad to have to be away from him for a week. She had gotten really close to the young boy that week, and she was surprised at how much she wanted him to stay.

As she was staring out the window, Andrea had mini flashbacks of the week. True, Carl had school, Rick had work, and she had started a job at Carols, but they still had a good time together. She saw the three of them watching movies on the couch, and playing board games. She saw Rick and Carl hugging and playing together as she made pancakes or waffles. She smiled slightly and the car came to a stop in front of the school.

The trio got out of the car and Carl rushed over to Rick and jumped into his arms.

"Bye dad, I'm really going to miss you! Like a lot..." Carl said sadly.

Rick frowned and ruffled his sons hair. "I know, I'm gonna miss you too. But you can call me whenever you want, and I'll see ya in a week, okay?"

Carl nodded, "Okay, love you." He said quietly.

Rick hugged him and kissed his head. "I love you too son," he replied.

They pulled away from each other and Carl pulled Andrea into a tight hug. She was slightly surprised but she hugged him back.

"I'm going to miss you too Andrea," Carl said to her. "I like having you around. My mom doesn't play with me like you do..." He trailed off.

Andrea smiled softly at him and looked at him in the eyes. "I'll play with you when you get back, okay bud? You have a good with with your mom." She said.

Carl nodded and hugged her, and ran off to join his friends. Rick and Andrea got back into the car but what they didn't know was that Lori was staring at them from her classroom window. She was a teacher at the school and she hadn't noticed that woman with Rick before. Why did her son hug her like that? _He never hugs me that way_, she thought. She shook her head and put the thought aside- she would ask Carl about it later.

* * *

Rick took his eyes off the road for a moment to look at Andrea. He smiled at her and she looked at him.

"He really likes you. Thank you for bein' there for him, he could use a friend like you," Rick said, and Andrea smiled at his sincerity.

"Thanks, he's a great kid, really. He's really happy, and he loves you to bits," she replied.

Rick smiled, "Yeah, I know. I wish I got to see him all the time..." He shook his head and smiled at her again. "You two got really close...And now that I think about it, we did too I guess." He said with a chuckle.

Andrea smiled and nodded, "Yeah, we did." And it was true, they did. They went from talking, to sitting next to each other, to getting each other coffee, to playful nudges and pokes, to back and shoulder pats, hell, they even hugged once! Andrea will never forget that hug. True, he hugged her when she had her nightmare, but this was different. She was wearing shorts and he caught her staring at a particularly large scar that went from the top of her thigh to the top of her knee. Rick had known that she was thinking about how she got it because her eyes were filled with tears. He couldn't think of anything else, so he walked over and hugged her. Andrea figured that it meant nothing to him, but it meant the world to her.

Rick smiled at her and they drove the rest of the way in silence. They got home and Rick put his keys on the table. As he turned around to walk into the living room, he bumped into Andrea and to keep her from falling, he grabbed her arms and pulled her close to him. She looked up at him and he looked back. They stayed that way for a while, just staring at each other, and Rick figured he would take a chance.

He leaned his head down slightly and pressed his lips against hers. At first Andrea didn't respond, but after a few seconds she started to move her lips against his. It wasn't a tongue-in-your-mouth sexy makeout kiss, but it was a kiss. Rick pulled away gently and looked into Andrea's dazzling eyes. What he saw wasn't regret or sadness, it was happiness. Yeah, Andrea looked happy, and that made him happy. He smiled and pushed a loose piece of hair behind her ear.

"So..." He said.

"So," she replied.

He smiled and kissed her again, and this time she responded right away. She opened her mouth slightly and Rick slid his tongue into her mouth, lazily gliding it against hers. Their breathing began to pick up and Andrea slid her arms around Rick's neck, and he put his hands on her waist. He gently backed her up against the wall and continued to kiss her with all that he had. He couldn't get enough of her- The feeling of her mouth on his, the warmth of her body pressed against him, her taste, the softness of her hair and her skin. Everything about her was perfect.

They stayed that way for a while, kissing and exploring each other's mouths, and then Rick pulled away. Andrea bit her lip and looked down. _Did they really just do that?_ They did, and she was glad. She really liked Rick and she was glad that she could start over, and put everything with Phillip behind her. Rick moved away from her and she stood beside him.

"Wanna watch some tv?" Rick suggested.

Andrea nodded and they walked to the living room. Andrea was ahead of him and Rick had to suppress a growl as he watched her ass move in the shorts. They sat down on the couch and Rick put his arm around her and she snuggled close to him, swinging her legs up and placing them over his. Rick smiled and turned on the tv. It felt so right, sitting there with her, cuddling. It was like they had been together forever, and Rick liked that feeling. They settled on watching 'Two and a Half Men' and occasionally Rick would kiss the top of Andrea's head or her cheek. Every time he did, it made Andrea smile, and she squished closer to him.

They spent the rest of that afternoon watching tv, stealing kisses, and talking. Rick told Andrea some funny stories about the drunks that they brought it, and Andrea told him silly baby stories about Amy.

It was getting late, and Rick had asked Andrea what she wanted for dinner.

Andrea thought about it and decided to be silly. "Cookies!" She said with a chuckle.

Rick grinned, "You know, cookies don't sound too bad."

He jumped off the couch and ran into the kitchen, and it reminded Andrea of Carl. She chuckled and walked in behind him.

"You know I was kidding, right?" She said.

Rick nodded, "Yeah, I know. But I'm not," he laughed.

He walked to the fridge and grabbed a roll of Pillsbury's Cookie Dough. Andrea laughed and walked over to him as he started placing chunks of cookie dough onto a cookie sheet. She grabbed a small piece of cookie dough and ate it, smiling at how good it tasted.

Rick chuckled, "Ain't eatin' it raw bad for you?"

Andrea shook her head. "They say it is, but it isn't. I've been doing this since I was five and it hasn't had an effect on me yet," She said with a smirk.

"Actually, I think it did. I think eatin' all that cookie dough is what made you so damn sweet," Rick said with a smile.

Andrea smiled and grabbed his face gently, bringing him down for a kiss. Rick lightly tugged on her bottom lip with this teeth before pulling away.

"You taste like cookies," he said.

Andrea giggled and Rick put the cookies in the oven. While they waited for the cookies to be done Andrea sat on the counter swinging her legs and Rick told her a story.

"When Carl was little, he liked to copy things me and Lori did. So this one time I had a bunch of the guys over for a poker game. We were out in the shed drinkin' beer and playin' poker, and Lori walks in with Carl. 'He wants to see his daddy' she said. So I put him on a chair beside me and let him watch the game. Well I look away for two seconds and he reaches over and grabs my beer," Rick started to laugh at the fond memory. "Luckily I grabbed it before he could drink it, but it was pretty damn funny," he chuckled.

Andrea started to laugh and Rick walked over to her, putting his hands on her waist.

"You have a cute laugh," Rick said to her.

"Thanks, yours isn't bad either," She said with a laugh.

Rick leaned into her and kissed her softly. Andrea threaded her fingers in his hair and sighed into his mouth. Rick growled in response and pulled her to the edge of the counter to get her closer. He knew that they were acting like two love-struck teenagers that couldn't keep their hands off each other, but he didn't care because he really liked her and he wanted to spend as much time with her as possible.

The oven beeped signalling that the cookies were ready, and they broke apart. Andrea hopped off the counter as Rick put the cookies on a plate. He brought the plate into the living room and they ate cookies for dinner while watching tv, and Andrea considered it the best dinner of her life.

* * *

They finished the cookies and Rick put the plate into the sink while Andrea changed into her pajamas- A grey tank top and light pink shorts. She walked out of her bedroom and Rick scooped her into his arms and carried her to the couch, with her giggling the whole time. Rick wasn't usually a silly and playful person, but Andrea brought it out of him, and he liked the change. They plopped down on the couch and Rick asked her if she wanted to watch a movie.

"Sure..." Andrea smirked wickedly, "You like scary movies?"

Rick laughed, "Yeah, I do. How about The Shining?" He asked.

Andrea's eyes lit up. "Yes! That's my favourite scary movie ever!"

Rick smiled and gave her a quick peck on the lips before getting up to get the movie. He put it in and sat back down beside Andrea, who cuddled up to him.

Even though she loved this movie, certain parts made Andrea jump, and Rick laughed every time she jumped or yelped because she got scared. He pulled her closer and they enjoyed the rest of the movie together.

When the movie ended, it was 10:30, but neither of them were all that tired. They got off the couch and Rick walked Andrea to her bedroom.

"Night Andrea," he said.

"Night Rick," she replied.

He leaned in for a goodnight kiss and once again slid his tongue into her mouth. She stepped closer to him and tangled her fingers into the short hair at the nape of his neck. He possessively put his hands on her hips and walked them backwards into her bedroom. He kissed her harder as he laid them down on the bed, and Andrea didn't even notice that they'd left the hallway until she felt Rick's hands pulling the bottom of her tank top up. She wanted this, hell, she _really_ wanted it, but there was something she had to tell Rick first. She gently placed her hands overtop of his and stopped him.

"Y-you should know, I have, well I have uh..." She didn't know how to continue, but she didn't have to because Rick silenced her with a soft kiss.

"Andrea, I know you have scars, and that's okay. It doesn't matter to me, you're still just as beautiful, if not more," he said. Rick didn't want her to feel self conscious around him because he loved the way she looked- scars or no scars, and he cursed Phillip for making her feel that way about herself.

She nodded and he swiftly pulled the tank top off, as well as his own shirt. He went back to kissing her and Andrea ran her hands down the muscled planes of his chest until she reached his jeans. She popped the button and slid the zipper down, and Rick quickly kicked them off. He moved his lips to Andrea's neck and started kissing and sucking, which elicited a contented sigh from Andrea. Rick reached his hands down and slid her shorts off, and he stayed hovering above her for a few seconds, admiring her. Andrea squirmed under his gaze, knowing that all her scars were visible. Rick went back to her neck, and made his way up until he got to her ear. He nipped at her earlobe and whispered, "You're perfect."

Andrea shivered at his words and Rick kissed back down her neck until he got to the top of her bra. He nipped at her cleavage before reaching his hand behind her and unclasping her bra. He slid it off and threw it onto the floor, and he felt his dick stiffen even more at the site of her naked chest. He dipped his head down again and took one of her nipples into his mouth, and rolled the other in between his thumb and his index finger. Andrea started to moan and Rick almost came right then. In Rick's mind, her moans were the sweetest sounds on earth.

He moved back up to her lips again and kissed her feverishly, never getting enough of her. He moved his hands to her waist and slid her black panties off her legs. She did the same to him, tugging off his boxers. She reached her hand down and grasped him firmly, and Rick groaned into her mouth. She gave him a few strokes and he was ready to go. He kissed her passionately and without warning he pushed into her. Andrea cried out in pleasure and wrapped her legs around his waist as he began to thrust slowly in and out of her.

Andrea was in a state of total bliss. Truthfully, she missed this. Yes, she had sex with Phillip, but it wasn't good sex and she didn't want it to happen. With Rick, it was different. It was mind-blowing, toe-curling sex, and she loved it.

Rick started to thrust a little faster, but he didn't pick up the pace too much, in fear that he might hurt Andrea. She removed her mouth from his and put it beside his ear.

"Is that all you got?" She asked, her voice hazed over with lust.

Rick thought it sounded extremely sexy and he found himself pounding into her harder than he ever had with anyone. Her moans got louder and Rick knew she was close, so he snaked a hand in between them to rub at her clit. She dug her nails into his shoulder blades.

"Fuck..." She breathed.

Rick growled at her dirty mouth and leaned in close to her. "Come fer me," he said, and Andrea noticed that his sexy southern accent was more pronounced.

He put more pressure against her clit and started to kiss her neck. Andrea pressed herself closer to him and bit down on his shoulder to stop herself from screaming when she came. Her spasms drove Rick over the edge and he came moments after her, jerking against her as he unloaded into her. They both came down from their high and Rick pulled out of her. They slipped under the sheets and Rick pulled Andrea to him so that her back was against his chest and he buried his face into her silky hair.

"Was that okay?" He asked.

Andrea sighed. "Hell yeah," she responded.

Rick chuckled and traced patterns onto her stomach with his thumb. She found them relaxing and soon they both fell asleep.

**So there it is! Rick and Andrea finally get together! And a little note about the movie- I picked The Shining because Laurie Holden said in an interview that it's her favourite scary movie (and mine too hehe) so that's why I picked it :)**


	7. Chapter 7

**Hi everyone! Sorry for the long wait, I had a lot going on! This one kinda ends at a certain point that (in my personal opinion) is kinda cut off, so I'm sorry for that. I've been super busy but I wanted to give you something so here it is! As always, reviews are greatly appreciated :)**

Andrea woke up the next morning feeling totally relaxed. The memories of the day before come flooding back to her and she smiled, becoming fully aware of Rick's warm body pressed against hers. Rick yawned and looked at her.

"Mornin' gorgeous," He said with a dopey grin.

She smiled back and turned around so that they were chest-to-chest, and she kissed him. He kissed her back and pushed her back softly into the mattress so that he was above her. He kissed her harder and she tugged on his bottom lip with her teeth. Rick felt himself go hard and he thrust his tongue into her mouth. Their tongues battled against each other and Rick hooked one of Andrea's legs around his hip. He slowly pushed into her and they both moaned. He started moving and Andrea bit her lip. Rick kissed and sucked on her neck and her breathing picked up, which encouraged Rick. He moved a little faster and moved down to her breasts. He sucked a nipple into his mouth and Andrea arched her back. He smiled against her skin and moved up to her mouth. He thrusted faster and harder and she whined into his mouth. He gave one final thrust and they came at the same time. Andrea moaned loudly and he kissed her, swallowing it; and he rested his head on her collarbone, catching his breath. He pulled out of her and laid down beside her.

The only sounds were their panting and he looked at her and smiled. "I don't really feel like gettin' out of bed today, do you?" He asked with a chuckle.

She laughed and curled into his side, planting a kiss on his chest. "Nah, why would I need to leave when I have everything I need right here?" She said sweetly.

Rick sighed. "You're fucking amazing, you know that?"

Andrea blushed. "No I'm not."

She traced patterns on Rick's stomach with her finger, making his abdominal muscles tremble. She drove him crazy in the best ways, and he wrapped an arm around her. He stared at her arm and hand and he noticed how many scars she really had. There were skinny ones, thick ones; short ones, long ones. Some were old and faded, and some were relatively new. Andrea saw him staring and she looked down, feeling embarrassed._ Stupid fucking scars, _she thought to herself. Rick grabbed her hand, and brought her wrist up to his lips. He kissed the biggest scar and looked at her.

"Andrea, it's okay. I didn't mean to stare, I'm sorry." He said softly.

She shook her head, not wanting him to feel guilty, because she wasn't mad. "No, it's fine, really. They just..." She didn't know how to continue, and Rick was okay with that.

"I know, and it's okay. Don't worry 'bout it." He said, kissing her head.

She wrapped one leg around his legs and cuddled into his chest. She was so thankful that he understood her and didn't run when he saw that she was troubled.

"Thank you Rick," she whispered against his stomach. Her lips tickled his skin and he shivered.

"You don't have to thank me. I'm always here," he replied.

She smiled and kissed his chest again. He was so sweet and understanding. Rick yawned and she chuckled.

"Tired, are we?" She asked playfully.

Rick nodded and shut his eyes. "Yeah actually. Wanna nap till lunch?" He asked.

Andrea sighed happily. "Yes, that sounds awesome."

She shifted and they both slowly fell asleep, wrapped up in each other's arms.

Around half an hour later Andrea jolted up in bed screaming. Rick's eyes snapped open and he gasped as he saw Andrea sitting there with her arms wrapped around herself, sobbing, and shaking. He put his hands on her shoulders and pulled her to him.

"Shhh...Andrea, it's okay baby. It was just a dream, nothin's gonna hurt you. I'm here..." He said with a soothing voice.

Andrea wrapped her arms around him and sobbed into his chest. She had another dream about Phillip. It was about the time when he chucked her down the stairs and cut up her arms after he dragged her back up by her hair. That was one of the worst times he had hurt her, and she constantly had nightmares about it. Rick kissed the top of her head and rubbed her back. He thought he might cry, but he had to stay strong for her, and in that moment he made a promise to himself- He would never let Phillip lay a hand on Andrea again.

Her sobs had subsided, and Andrea pulled away from Rick.

"S-sorry," she said meekly. God she hated herself sometimes! Why did she have to go and do that in front of a guy that she actually liked!

Rick could see the self-loathing in her eyes and he cupped her face in his hands, gently wiping her tears away with his thumbs.

"Andrea, listen to me babe. You have nothing to be sorry about, okay? I'm not gonna get mad, or yell, I'm going to be here whenever you need me. Don't be hard on yourself, okay?" He said.

She nodded and he kissed her forehead. "Everything's going to be fine." He whispered.

Andrea nodded and looked at him. "Y-you hungry?" She asked.

Rick smiled and reached over the side of the bed and grabbed his boxers and put them on. Andrea got out of bed and slipped on her panties and one of Rick's baggy shirts. They walked into the kitchen and Rick opened the cupboard, pulling out a box. He shook the box at Andrea.

"You up for pop tarts?" He asked.

Andrea giggled and nodded, thankful for the silly distraction, and he put two in the toaster. Andrea laughed again.

"Damn, I can't remember the last time I had pop tarts..." She said, tilting her head and sitting on the edge of the table.

Rick laughed sympathetically. "Carl loves them, and I do too honestly." He paused, then chuckled, hoping to make her happy. Andrea noticed the sympathy in his voice and sighed.

"Rick, don't do that. Its not a big deal," she said with a shrug. She wished he would stop patronizing her because she was fine. She was starting over and everything would be fine. The nightmares couldn't hurt her and she knew that Rick wouldn't let her get hurt again

He nodded at her with understanding blue eyes and took the two pop tarts out of the toaster. He put them on plates and sat down at the table. Andrea smiled as she ate hers and Rick laughed.

"Enjoyin' it?" He asked goofily.

Andrea blushed and laughed. "Yes! These things are so good!"

Rick gazed at her admiringly and they finished eating. Rick yawned and Andrea smiled. They walked back into the bedroom and Rick pulled Andrea down on top of him on the bed, making them both laugh. She kissed him on the lips and rolled off of him, squirming under the covers. He did the same and she draped an arm across his stomach and he wrapped his arm around her shoulders.

"You know," Rick said, "You look really cute with that T-shirt on."

Andrea smiled and buried her face into his chest. "Why thank you, I think you happen to look cute without a shirt on," she said with a smirk.

He kissed the top of her head, smiling. "Nah, mr chubby doesn't look good without a shirt on."

Andrea gasped a laugh. "Mr chubby? Last time I checked," she poked one of his abs on his chest, "You are the exact opposite of chubby."

Rick smiled and laid his cheek against her head, closing his eyes. When he was with Andrea, he felt like a different person. He wasn't the cop that went to work everyday doing the same thing, and coming home struggling to help Carl with school work. No, he was the Rick Grimes that played with his son, and was happy at work and came home to Andrea, his...Girlfriend? Yeah, he figured you could say that. Girlfriend.

He grinned at the word playing over in his head and he moved his hand under her shirt, trailing his fingers up and down her back, causing goosebumps to form on her soft skin.

She shivered and kissed his collarbone, enjoying the feeling of his fingers on her back. She closed her eyes and let herself get lost in the moment. The feeling of him pressed against her, his smell, his fingers gliding along her back, and she felt like she could cry. She was with Phillip for 3 years being unhappy and miserable and in pain. But now she had Rick and Carl, and they were the closest thing she had to a family and that made her happy. For the first time in 3 years, Andrea was genuinely happy with where she was and who she was with.

**So there it is. Sorry if it's choppy and all over the place, I was in a bit of a rush. Please review if you can :**)


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